fly brains

Scientists have mapped the neurons in the medulla of the fruit fly.

Scientists at HHMI Janelia Farms have mapped the neurocircuitry that controls motion detection in fruit flies. The researchers froze brains before slicing them into tiny sections and imaging them using an electron microscope. The images were then stitched back together using a computer and checked by a person to generate a 3 dimensional map of the fly’s brain. The scientists mapped 379 neurons and 8,637 chemical synaptic contacts. Read more in Nature or at the Janelia Farms website.